DHS Remains on Brink of Shutdown

March 02, 2015

The agency that’s tasked with protecting the American homeland is still on the brink of a shutdown after the House of Representatives last Friday decided to fund the Department of Homeland Security for only one week instead of the entire fiscal year. The short-term funding measure runs out this Friday after midnight, sending Congress back to square one and crippling the important work of TSA, Border Patrol, ICE, FEMA, Coast Guard, FPS and other DHS agencies.

Congress was in chaos last week over DHS funding. A few days before the short-term funding ran out, the Senate managed to pass a bill that would fund DHS through September. The House, however, sought to fund the department for only three more weeks, but even that failed. They could only agree to fund the agency only until this Friday.

Congress’ inability to allow DHS and its employees to carry out their mission without interruption frustrates employees and hurts their already low morale. Besides having to focus on keeping America safe, employees are saddled with the prospect of not getting paid. Many employees are on the lower end of the federal pay scale and won’t be able to pay bills and support their families if their paychecks are delayed.

AFGE is urging lawmakers to fund DHS for the entire fiscal year so that employees can focus on the work they’ve been hired to do. We need your help to make sure DHS workers are not forced to work without a paycheck.

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